Man's body found in Pico Rivera; circumstances of death unclear

Abby SewellThis post has been updated. See the note below for details.

A man's body was found in a riverbed in Pico Rivera on Thursday morning, but it was not immediately clear how he died or whether foul play was involved.

A passerby found the body about 9:50 a.m. near the San Gabriel River pathway, about 75 yards south of San Gabriel Boulevard, said Lt. Robert Smith of the Pico Rivera sheriff's station. The body was found in the bushes on the bank of the river, he said.

Sheriff's detectives were on scene awaiting the coroner and the man has not yet been identified, Smith said.

No other details were immediately available.

[Updated at 4:52 p.m.: Sheriff's officials said in a statement the man's race, age and cause of death would be determined by the coroner's office "due to possible decomposition." The statement said the body was found by two passersby in the San Gabriel River Wash south of East Beverly Boulevard].

According to the Los Angeles Times' Homicide Report, 23 homicides have been reported in Pico Rivera since 2007. The most recent was that of Ruben Salazar, 41, who was found shot Oct. 19, 2012, in the 9400 block of Goodbee Street.